Firearm construction



L. H. PAGE FIREARM CONSTRUCTION Filed May 14, 193B May 13, 1941.

ll. l L I l l I I l l I I l I l l l I I ll Patented May 13, 1941FIREARIW CONSTRUCTION Application May 14, 1938, Serial No. 207,901

Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in firearm constructions andmore particularly to means for securing the barrel-units and stockunitsof firearms together.

One of the main difficulties which confront both the manufacturers andusers of high-grade rifles, shotguns and other firearms, is to eliminateor minimize the effects upon the barrelunits of the warp-age of thestock-units occasioned by changes in moisture-content and the like, asthe result of over-seasoning or alternate dry and damp conditions. Thestocks of firearms which are commonly made of wood or other warpablematerial, are apt to impose strains upon the barrel-unit of firearmswhich even if of slight degree, may materially affect the shootingaccuracy of the firearm.

Furthermore, the initial assembly of a barrelunit and a stock-unit isvery apt to impose strains upon the barrel-unit which can under usualconditions be eliminated or minimized only by shimming or othermeticulous hand work in shaving or sanding away portions of thecontiguous surfaces of the stock-unit.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide asuperior firearm construction wherein simple, reliable and effectivemeans is provided for adjustably securing the barrel-unit and stock-unittogether.

A further object of the present invention is to provide superior meansfor adjustably securing together the barrel-units and stock-units offirewhich will be sufficiently resistant to shock and vibration as notto become loosen d or upset by the repeated discharge of the firearm.

Anoth r object of the present invention is to provide superior means foradjustably securing the barrel-units and stock-units of firearmstogether without in itself however imposing undue deflecting strainsupon the said barrel-units.

With the above and other objects in View, as will appear to thoseskilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includesall features in the said dis-closure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawing, in which certain modes of carrying out thepresent invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in verticalcentral-longitudinal section of a firearm embodying the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one of the escutcheon-nuts detached; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of one of the adjustable thrust-sleevesdetached.

The particular firearm herein chosen for the illustration of the presentinvention includes a barrel-unit generally designated by the referencecharacter H] and including a barrel proper H and receiver l2 rigidlysecured together. The said receiver I2 mounts a firing mechanism, etc.,of any approved form which as shown includes a breech-bolt l3, abolt-handle M, a magazinesupport it and a trigger it. The receiver IE,together with the parts organized therewith, is sometimes referred to asthe action since it contains or has attached to it the main portion ofthe movable features of the firearm mechanism.

Extending mainly beneath the barrel-unit It! is a stock-unit I! having abuttstock-portion Ila and an integral forestock-portion [lb and composedof any suitable material, preferably of wood, suchfor instance aswalnut. Mounted upon the under-side of the said stock-unit is atrigger-plate I8 which at its rear portion is bent outwardly to form aguard-loop or trigger-guard 19 which serves to minimize the danger ofthe accidental operation of the trigger it in the usual manner offirearms. Close to its rear end and immediately forwardly of the triger-guard I9 respectively, the trigger-plate has extending through itattaching-screws 2i] and 2| respectively which extend up into thestock-unit ll through a supplemental-plate 22 extending over the gapbetween the front and rear walls of the said trigger-guard 9. The saidsupplementalplate 22 is as shown formed with a slot 23 through which thetrigger It may be projected into the trigger-guard l9 and through whichthe said trigger may be withdrawn when the barrel-unit Ill and thebutt-unit ll are detached one from the other.

The upper face of the forestock-portion ill) of the stock-unit llsubstantially throughout its length is cut away to form anupwardly-opening longitudinal groove 2 of subtsantially-semicircularform in cross-section and which is interrupted or intersected at variouspoints by supplemental cuts, such for instance as a vertical pasage 25designed for the clearance of the trigger I 5 and its support 26depending from the receiver l2. The longitudinal groove 24 abovereferred to is also intersected by a vertical passage 21 whichaccommodates the magazine-holder l5 and a box-magazine 29 installedtherein. Immediately beneath the magazine-holder l5 the trigger-plate I8is formed with an aperture 29 through which the said magazine 28 may beintroduced into and removed from the magazineholder |5.

Immediately forwardly of the forward end of the receiver I2 theforestock-portion |1b of the butt-unit H is formed with anupwardly-opening recess 30 intersecting the groove 24 and providing bymeans of its rear wall an abutment 3| against which rests the dependingarm 32 of an L-shaped stabilizing-plate 33. At its extreme forward endthe longitudinal groove 24 in the upper face of the stock-unit I1 ispreferably made shallower than its remaining rearward portion in orderto provide a seat 34 against which the adjacent portion of the barrelshould lightly rest.

Immediately to the rear of its forward end to which the barrel II isrigidly secured, the receiver I2 is provided with a vertical threadedbore 35. Registering with the upper end of the bore 35 is adownwardly-opening recess Ha, concavely-formed in the lower portion ofthe barrel The threaded upper end of the shank 36 of a draft-screw ordraft-member generally designated by the reference character 31 extendsthrough the said bore 35 and is received in the said recess Ha. The saiddraft-screw 31 is provided with a head 38 having a conicallycontouredupper face 39 seated in a similarlycontoured seat 40 formed in theforward end of the trigger-plate l8.

The threaded shank 36 of the draft-screw 31 extends freely verticallythrough a tubular escutcheon-nut 4| and an adjustable thrust-sleeve orthrust-member 42, all arranged coaxially in a bore 44 extendingvertically in the forestockportion |1b as is shown particularly well inFig. 3.

The escutcheon-nut 4| is formed at its upper end with aperipherally-serrated annular flange 43 seated in a recess 44aopening-upwardly from the bore 44 in the forestock-portion |1b so as tonon-rotatably couple the said escutcheon-nut to the latter. tersects atits upper end a longitudinal groove 45 leading downwardly from thesemicircular groove 24 and extending longitudinally between theclearance-passage 21 and the recess 30 in the said forestock-portion |1bfor the accommodation of the stabilizing-plate 33.

The escutcheon-nut 4| is provided throughout the entire length of itsinterior with threads 46 engaged by threads 41 formed upon the exteriorof the thrust-sleeve 42 so that the said thrust-sleeve may be verticallyadjusted in the said escutcheon-nut by means of a screw driver or othersuitable tool which may be engaged with diametrically-opposite notches48-48 formed in the lower end of the said thrustsleeve. The upper endportion of the adjustable thrust-sleeve 42 is free of threads and is ofslightly-less diameter than the threads 51 to provide a neck-portion 49which projects upwardly through a perforation 50 formed in thestabilizing-plate 33 with respect to which the said thrust-sleeve isfreely'rotatable and axially movable. The upper portion of theneck-portion 49 of the thrust-sleeve 42 projects into adownwardly-opening pocket 5| formed The said recess 44a in- 1 in theunder-face of the forward portion of the receiver l2 in axial alignmentwith the threaded bore 35 therein. The upper end of the neckportion 49of the thrust-sleeve 42 has considerable clearance with respect to theadjacent side-wall of the pocket 5| and seats at its extreme end againstthe horizontal surface of the said pocket 5| so as to support the saidreceiver l2 for the purpose as will more fully hereinafter appear.

Extending vertically between the rear portion of the receiver l2 and thestock-unit I1 is a second draft-screw or draft-member generallydesignated by the reference character 52 having a head 53 and a shank 54which latter is externally threaded at its lower end. The head 53 of thedraft-screw 52 has a conically-contoured portion 55 which seats againsta similarly-shaped seat 56 at the bottom of a vertical counterbore 51formed in the bottom-wall 58 of the rear-portion of the receiver l2 andin which the said head 53 is located.

The draft-screw 52 extends downwardly through an externally-threadedthrust-sleeve or thrust-member 59 and through an internallythreadedtubular escutcheon-nut 60 in which the said thrust-sleeve 59 isthreaded. For the purpose of adjusting the said thrust-sleeve 59, thesame is provided at its upper end at diametrically-opposite points, withnotches 6|-5| which may be engaged by a screw driver or other suitabletool. The escutcheon-nut 60, like the escutcheon-nut 4| beforedescribed, is provided with a peripherally-serrated annular flange 62which is forced into a counterbore 63 in the upper surface of thestock-unit l1, so as to be nonrotatably coupled therewith.

The main portion of the escutcheon-nut 60 extends downwardly through avertical passage 64 in the adjacent portion of the stock-unit H. Thedraft-screw 52 extends downwardly through the said thrust-sleeve 59 andescutcheon-nut 69 and thence into threaded engagement with aninternally-threaded escutcheon-nut 65. The said escutcheon-nut 65 ismounted in a counterbored lower portion of the vertical passage 64 andhas a peripherally-serrated head 66 which grips the adjacent portion ofthe stock-unit so as to be non-rotatably anchored thereto and which isseated against a downwardly-facing shoulder or seat 51 in the saidpassage 64.

As the parts are thus constructed and arranged, the two spaced-apartadjustable thrustsleeves 42 and 59 hold the rear-portion of thebarrel-unit l9 against downward displacement while the respectivedraft-screws 31 and 52 counter the said adjusting-sleeves and hold therear-portion of the barrel-unit against upward displacement.

In other words, the thrust-sleeves 42 and 59 will force and hold apartthe two units l9 and i1 while the draft-screws 31 and 52 will drawtogether and hold the two said units.

The two thrust-sleeves 42 and 59 may first be set so that the forwardportion of the barrel II will but lightly rest upon the seat 34 at theforward end of the forestock-portion |1b, whereupon when the respectivedraft-screws 31 and 52 may be tightened, the barrel-unit will be firmlylocked in position.

For effecting proper lateral setting of the barrel-unit it with respectto the stock-unit l1, the barrel-unit may be pivoted about the axis ofthe draft-screw 52 in order to laterally align the barrel II and theforward portion of the receiver 12 in the upwardly-facing longitudinalgroove 24 in the stock-unit H.

It will be noted that the longitudinal groove 24 in the upper face ofthe stock-unit I1 is greater in radius than the radius of the adjacentportion of the barrel-unit i0, so that clearance is provided for bothvertical and lateral movement of one unit with respect to the otherprior to being firmly interlocked together.

Preferably and as shown, the seat 34 at the forward end of theforestock-portion Nb of the stock-unit I! is so dimensioned that itnormally provides lateral clearance on each of the respective oppositesides of the adjacent portion of the barrel II.

By arranging the thrust-sleeves 42 and 59 or their equivalents coaxiallywith respect to their complemental draft-screws 37 and 52 or theirequivalents, no distorting stresses are applied to the barrel-unit H3 orthe stock-unit H, which might be the case were the draft-members andthrust-members referred to not coaxially arranged.

Whenever the user of the firearm observes any cramping of thebarrel-unit, due to warpage of the stock-unit H as a result of itsexposure to moisture or other factors tending to warp the saidstock-unit, such user may readily correct such stresses by readjustingei her or both of the thrust-sleeves 42 or 59 after having firstloosened the respective draft-screws 31 and 52.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that by means of the presentinvention, the initial accurate mounting of the barrel-unit of a firearmwith respect to its stock-unit may be conveniently effected and furtherthat in the event the setting initially given should change, due tofactors outside of the control of the manufacturer, the user may readilyreset the two main units 18 and I! of the firearm with respect to eachother when conditions make such readjustment necessary or desirable.

It will also be observed that when the barrelunit is initially mountedwith respect to the stock-unit, or when it is reset with respectthereto, the said units are securely interlocked without strain bysubstantially-coordinated counteracting forces exerted thereon by thecoacting thrust-sleeves and draft-screws.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than thoseherein set forth without departing from the spirit and essentialcharacteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are,therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalencyrange of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. In a firearm structure, the combination with the barrel-unit andstock-unit thereof: of adjustable attaching-means for securing the twosaid units together in such manner as to minimize the deflecting actionof the said stock-unit upon the said barrel-unit; the said adjustableattaching-means including an axially-adjustable tubular thrust-memberthreaded to one of the said units for axial movement with respectthereto and constructed and arranged to hold the two said units apart invarious positions of relative adjustment; and an axially-adjustabledraftmember extending between the two said units through the saidtubular axially-adjustable thrust-member and drawing the two said unitstogether.

2. In a firearm structure, the combination with the barrel-unit andstock-unit thereof: of ad-= necting the two said units and drawing thesaid barrel-unit toward the said stock-unit and against the said tubularthrust-member.

3. In a firearm structure, the combination with 1 the barrel-unit andstock-unit thereof: of adjustable attaching-means for securing the twosaid units together in such manner as to minimize the deflecting actionof the said stock-unit upon the said barrel-unit; the said adjustableattaching-means including an internallythreaded tubular escutcheon-nutmounted in the said stock-unit; an externally-threaded tubularthrust-sleeve threaded into the internallythreaded escutcheon-nut andengaging with the said barrel-unit to hold the same in spacedrelationship with respect to the adjacent portion of the saidstock-unit; and an axially-adjustable draft-member extending throughboth the said tubular escutcheon-nut and the said tubular thrust-sleeveand seating the said barrel-unit against one end of the said tubularthrust-sleeve.

4. In a firearm structure, the combination with a barrel-unit providedwith a threaded bore for the reception of a draft-member; of astockunit; an escutcheon-nut mounted in the said stock-unit; andadjustable attaching-means for securing the two said units together insuch manner as to minimize the deflecting action of the said stock-unitupon the said barrel-unit and including a tubular externally-threadedthrust-sleeve threaded into the said escutcheonnut in the saidstock-unit and engaging with an adjacent portion of the said barrel-unitto hold the same in spaced relationship with respect to the saidstock-unit, and a draft-screw extending axially through the said tubularthrust-sleeve and having a threaded portion entering the threaded borein the said barrel-unit and acting to oppose the thrust of the saidthrust-member and draw the said units together.

5. In a firearm structure, the combination with a barrel-unit having adraft-screw-receiving passage therein; a stock-unit having two threadedsockets mounted therein; adjustable attaching-means for securing the twosaid units together in such manner as to minimize the deflecting actionof the said stock-unit upon the said barrel-unit and including anexternallythreaded tubular thrust-sleeve threaded into one of the twothreaded passages in the said stock-unit and engaging with the saidbarrelunit to hold the same in spaced relationship with respect to thesaid stock-unit, and a draft-screw extending through the passage in thesaid barrelunitand through the said tubular thrust-sleeve and intothreaded engagement with the remaining one of the two said threadedbores in the said stock-unit.

LOVELL H. PAGE.

axially-adjustable l

